Spain is deploying troops to its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants entered the territory from Morocco by swimming around the border area, in a sudden surge that left at least 18 people dead.
The Spanish interior ministry said the armed forces would support the Civil Guard in maintaining security in the city, which sits on Morocco’s northern coast and forms one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. The move followed appeals from local officials, who said existing resources had been overwhelmed by the scale of the arrivals.
Authorities in Ceuta reported that crossings continued overnight into Friday, with further tension around the border. Images and videos circulated online appeared to show large numbers of young migrants sleeping in public areas, as well as rocks being thrown near border gates. There were also unconfirmed reports of clashes between police and migrants.
Spanish media, citing Reuters, estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 people entered Ceuta on Thursday, although the Guardia Civil had not confirmed a final figure. Local officials also said that about 300 to 400 people had crossed into Melilla, Spain’s other autonomous city on the North African coast.
The interior ministry said Spain was working with Morocco to return those who had entered Spanish territory “as soon as possible”. It also accused human trafficking networks of exploiting recent legal developments to encourage undocumented crossings.
The immediate background to the surge includes a ruling this month by Spain’s Supreme Court that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be returned to Morocco without due process. The ruling has raised practical and political questions for the authorities, particularly as both enclaves have long been routes for people seeking entry into Europe.
Witnesses described large numbers of people making their way down concrete embankments and into the water in an attempt to swim around the jetty marking the border. On the Spanish side, beaches were reportedly left with rubber rings and flippers. While some migrants managed to reach land, at least 18 people drowned during the attempts.
It remains unclear what caused the sudden increase in crossings, or what measures Moroccan authorities took to prevent people from reaching the border. Witnesses in Fnideq, a Moroccan town close to Ceuta, told Reuters that Moroccan authorities used water cannons to try to stop migrants from crossing.
Ceuta’s regional leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, said the influx had placed severe pressure on local services and urged Madrid to step in. Reception facilities in the enclave were reported to be under strain as officials attempted to process arrivals and restore order.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was expected to visit Ceuta on Friday and has said the government will act to return the situation to normal. The deployment of military personnel marks a significant escalation in the security response, though the interior ministry said the forces would operate in support of the Civil Guard’s responsibilities.
The episode has also triggered a diplomatic dispute with Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government was considering extraordinary measures, including action related to the Schengen open-border system with Spain. Italy does not share a land border with Spain, meaning any such measure would require cooperation from other European countries to be effective.
In a post on X, Meloni said the scenes from Ceuta showed what she described as a security threat posed by uncontrolled illegal immigration at Europe’s borders. Her comments followed similar remarks by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares criticised Tajani’s comments, accusing him of using migration for domestic political purposes. Albares said Spain expected European solidarity from Italy and summoned the Italian ambassador in Madrid.
The Schengen Area allows passport-free movement across 29 European countries that have removed routine checks at their shared borders. Temporary border controls can be reintroduced in exceptional circumstances, but such steps are politically sensitive and subject to European rules.
Ceuta and Melilla have long been points of tension between Spain and Morocco. Madrid regards both enclaves as integral parts of Spain with the same status as its autonomous regions on the mainland, while their location on the African coast makes them a frequent focus of migration pressure and diplomatic friction.
The latest events have drawn comparisons with May 2021, when about 8,000 people entered Ceuta over several days, worsening tensions between Spain and Morocco. Since then, Spanish authorities have strengthened surveillance, reinforced barriers and sought closer cooperation with Rabat, but attempts to cross into both enclaves have continued.
The priority for Spanish authorities is now to stabilise the border, identify and assist those who have arrived, and account for the deaths at sea. The incident underlines the continuing pressure at Europe’s southern frontier and the difficulty of balancing border enforcement, legal obligations and humanitarian concerns.
